ZEROBASEONE's First Comeback as a Five-Member Act Lands With 'Ascend-'

K-POP boy group ZEROBASEONE is back as a five-member act, and the members say the change has only sharpened their focus. The group released its sixth mini-album, "Ascend-," on May 18, marking its first comeback since reorganizing from nine members to five.

ZEROBASEONE — now made up of Sung Hanbin, Kim Jiwoong, Seok Matthew, Kim Taerae and Park Gunwook — met with reporters on May 15 in Seoul's Gangnam district to talk about the new release.

The title track, "TOP 5," is a dance-pop and contemporary R&B song built around what the group describes as its own brand of minimalism. It updates 2000s dance-pop with a groovy, hip-hop-leaning rhythm and a heavy bass line. The EP includes seven tracks spanning different genres.

The new lineup followed a major restructuring of the group. "There were changes to the team, so we prepared with a new mindset," Sung Hanbin said. "What hasn't changed is our passion and the fire in our eyes. A strong start is what lets us grow further. Since this is our first album as five, we put everything we had into it."

The members said they approached the comeback like a fresh start. "I prepared as if I were a trainee again," Park Gunwook said. "I'm from Gyeonggi Province, and back then I spent an hour and a half each way on the red bus commuting to the company while watching my evaluation videos. I went into this comeback with that same mindset. Even between schedules, I kept replaying the new choreography on my phone. It wasn't planned. It just happened, and that's how immersed I am in this comeback. It felt good to see myself working that hard."

As the group's first release since the lineup change, the comeback has drawn attention from both fans and the wider K-POP industry. Park sees that as an opportunity.

"A lot of K-POP fans will be watching closely because it's our first comeback after such a big change," he said. "If we can handle that pressure and prove ourselves, more people might end up loving ZEROBASEONE's music."

With fewer members, each role carries more weight. "Even with more screen time, you only stand out if you deliver, so I told myself to prepare harder," Sung said. "For 'TOP 5' and for KCON Japan, I focused on how each member comes across individually. It's a chance for people to get to know us one by one, so I didn't want to waste it. I kept asking myself what I'm best at and what we as a team need to show."

Kim Taerae said the shift opened new possibilities for him. "I got to try new things and find new sides of myself," he said. "I hope people see that Taerae can show strength in performance, not just vocals."

There were early concerns about how the group would fill the stage after reducing its lineup, but the members say it feels tighter than ever now. "I wondered if it would seem like something was missing," Park said. "But once we finished our concert and started preparing for the comeback as five, it didn't really feel that way. Our mindset shifted after the final concert, and we practiced a lot to highlight each member's strengths."

The comeback also arrives as a new act made up of former ZEROBASEONE members begins activities. Zhang Hao, Ricky, Kim Gyuvin and Han Yujin debuted as a rookie group AND2BLE on May 26, putting both groups in the spotlight at the same time.

Sung pushed back on framing the situation as a rivalry. "When I led the nine-member lineup, I used to say this too: I don't think about beating someone else, I think about beating myself," he said. "We both just have to show what we prepared. I didn't expect our comeback timing to overlap, but ZEROBASEONE and AND2BLE are cheering for each other's happiness and success."

He added that attention shared between the two groups can benefit both sides. "In the K-POP scene, being talked about together is better than not being mentioned at all," he said. "Even one extra mention helps it go viral. We're not competing. We're each showing what we prepared, and I hope it has a positive effect on both groups."

The members were also closely involved in shaping the album. "Knowing everyone's eyes were on us and that we'd be judged on what we showed, I went in thinking we had to prove something," Seok Matthew said. "I gave a lot of input on the concept and choreography. I worked hard in the recording booth too. If something felt off, I'd ask to record it again. I gave it everything."

The fourth track, "Customize," is Park Gunwook's first self-written song. "I wrote it wanting to give the members a song that fits them like a tailored suit," Park said. "I think their skill level is so high that I didn't worry about difficulty while writing it. When it was finished, though, the song turned out a bit tricky. I was nervous during recording, but watching the directing in person, the members nailed it exactly the way I had imagined."

The group says "Ascend-" is meant to show a new side while keeping the core of who it is. "We thought it would be good to show a more polished side, so the title track and overall concept came out more minimal this time," Sung said. "But the one thing we didn't want to lose is singing about youth. The album's style and overall mood have changed a lot, but we're still singing our version of youth. We used the B-sides to show that ZEROBASEONE's freshness in different ways."

As for goals, Park has a personal one. "I'm one of the MCs on 'M Countdown,' so I'd love to win a trophy on the show," he said. "Hanbin won on 'M Countdown' when he was an MC, and I want to feel what he felt."

Sung's hope is broader. "I want the songs to chart high," he said. "I want to hear them when I'm walking down the street or moving between schedules."

Park framed the new EP as the start of a new chapter for the group. "Up to the final concert, we showed the process of going from zero to one," he said. "Fans might have missed it because they were crying, but the number on the screen actually changed from zero to one when the concert ended. From here, we're telling the story of ZEROBASEONE at one."